Creating Killer Content on the Web: A Simple Guide

For sure, internet marketers as well as business owners have heard of the statement “content is king.” But what exactly does this mean? Well, after Google rolled out Penguin and Panda, gone are the days when you can publish something really crappy online and get away with it unscathed. Today, good content is the lifeblood of SEO and the backbone of conversion optimization services.

With that being said, what’s the secret behind high quality, compelling and relevant content that Google so love? Answer the following questions and you got yourself a simple guide.

Internally Hire or Outsource?

Behind every successful content marketing campaign are good writers. They’re the unsung heroes behind copies that sell, move, entertain and drive traffic. When putting together a team of content writers, a pertinent question you should answer is whether to get someone internally or outsource.

For small businesses which do not demand high volume of content, having a writer within the team is a viable choice. Better yet, you can require writing skills when filling up some of the positions in your company (i.e. Members of the marketing department).

On the other hand, for brands or companies that require a heftier volume when it comes to web content, outsourcing your content writing needs to SEO companies may be more efficient both in terms of productivity and costs.

What’s Your Content Schedule?

Calendaring your content is an efficient way to ensure that you are generating a steady stream of content for your web properties. It also eliminates the need for your content writers to reach out to you and ask what they should do next. You can create a content calendar which will last your for two weeks or even a month if you can already think that far off. Having a schedule for content will also make it easier for you to track the performance of your partner SEO firm if you have one.

Do You Currently Have Writers or Web Writers?

Oh yes, there is a difference between the two. In fact, there are other sub-species of writers out there – creative writers, print PR writers, news writers, sales copy writers, etc. Each has their own specialization.

In the same respect, web writing is a totally different animal. Words should be quick, snappy and sticky. The structure should follow an inverted pyramid style while maintaining interest all throughout the content. There should be an apparent call to action.

This is especially important when it comes to conversion optimization services as web writers know how an internet user’s psyche works and what he or she needs to hear in order to buy something online.

Substance or Keywords?

This is a very difficult question to answer and has been highly debated on the SEO arena. Every SEO agency has its own take on this. While content is king, use of keywords is a strong challenger to the throne.

Well, the answer is both. You cannot do SEO without keywords and keywords are useless without good content. The trick is to have your writers develop content around a theme or subject, and then mention the keywords that must be included.